Egil’s Saga (11 page)

They unladed the ships: took then and kenned the land from the east along the river and flitted after them their livestock. Haeng was, for the first winter, in the country out beyond the outer Rangriver; but in the spring he kenned the land eastward, and took then land between Thursowater and Markfleet, between fell and foreshore, and dwelt at Hof beside the eastern Rangriver. Ingunn his wife bare a child in the spring, after they had been there their first winter, and the boy was named Hrafn. And when the houses there were pulled down, then was the place called thereafter Hrafntofts.

Haeng gave Baug land in Fleetlithe down from Markriver to the river out beyond Broadlairstead, and he dwelt at Lithend;
⁴
and from Baug is come a great line of kindred in that countryside.

Haeng gave land to his shipmates, but sold to some for a little price, and they are called land-take men.
⁵

Storolf was named a son of Haeng: he had the Knoll and Storolfsfield. His son was Worm the Strong.

Heriolf was named the second son of Haeng: he had land in Fleetlithe marching with Baug, and out as far as Knollslech. He lived under the Brents. His son was Summerlid, father of Weatherlid the skald.
⁶

Helgi was the third son of Haeng. He dwelt at the Field, and had land as far as the upper Rangriver and down to march with his brethren’s.

Vestar was named the fourth son of Haeng. He had land to the east of Rangriver, betwixt that and Thwartwater, and the lower part of Storolfsfield. He had to wife Moeid, daughter of Hildir of Hildisey. Their daughter was Asny, whom Ofeig Grettir had to wife. Vestar dwelt at Moeidsknoll.

Hrafn was the fifth of Haeng’s sons. He was the first Speaker of the Law
⁷
in Iceland. He dwelt at Hof after his father. Thorlaug was Hrafn’s daughter, whom Jorund the Priest had to wife. Their son was Valgard of Hof. Hrafn was the worship-fullest of the sons of Haeng.

CHAPTER XXIV. THE SORROW OF KVELDULF.

K
VELDULF heard tell of the fall of Thorolf his son. He became sorrowful with these tidings, so that he laid him in his bed, for grief and old age. Skallagrim came often to him and talked to him: bade him arouse himself: said that all things else were fitter than this, to come to utter worthlessness and lie bed-ridden: “That rather should be our rede, to look for vengeance after Thorolf. May be, that we may come at some of those men that have been at Thorolf’s fall. And if not that, then will there be men, whom we may catch, that the King shall think it much against his liking”.

Kveldulf quoth a stave:
¹

News from a northern island:
(The Norns are grim!) too early
The Thunder-Lord hath chose him:
Thorolf lieth low now.
Nought swift, for all I strive for’t,
Nought swift will be the ’venging:
By thowless eld enthralled I’m bann’d
From Thing of Odin’s shield-mays.

Harald the King fared that summer to the Uplands, and fared in the autumn west to Valdres and all up to Vors. Oliver Hnufa was with the King, and came oft to speech with the King, if he would be willing to pay boot
²
for Thorolf: bestow on Kveldulf and Skallagrim money-boot or some such manly gift as they might be content with. The King did not wholly warn him off from this, if that father and son would come and see him.

And now Oliver started on his journey north into the Firths: stayed not till he came at fall of day to that father and son. They took to him in thankful wise: tarried he there some while.

Kveldulf asked Oliver carefully about those doings that had come about at Sandness when Thorolf fell, of this too, what Thorolf had framed to do before he fell; and this, who bare weapons upon him, and where he had the greatest wounds, and what way his fall was. Oliver said to him all that he asked; this too, that King Harald dealt him that wound that should alone
have been enough and more to be the bane of him, and that Thorolf fell nigh upon the feet of the King face downward. Then answereth Kveldulf: “Well hast thou said. For that have men spoken of old, that of that man will be vengeance who fell face downward, and nigh to him will the vengeance come who was in the way of him when he fell. But unlikely it is that unto us should that good luck be fated”.

Oliver said to that father and son that he had hope if they would go and see the King, and seek atonement, that that might turn out an honourable journey, and bade them make hazard of this, and laid many words thereto.

Kveldulf said that he was nought fit for that, for eld’s sake. “I will bide at home,” said he.

“Wilt thou go, Grim?” said Oliver.

“I think this is no errand of mine,” said Grim. “I shall seem to the King nought ready of word. I think I should not stand long bidding atonement of him.”

Oliver said that he should have no need of that: “We shall speak all on thy behalf, so well as we know how”.

And what with Oliver’s much pressing of his suit, Grim promised that he would go on this journey soon as he should deem him ready. He and Oliver fixed a time between them when Grim should come to meet with the King. Fared then Oliver first away, and to the King.

CHAPTER XXV. OF SKALLAGRIM’S GOING TO THE KING.

S
KALLAGRIM made him ready for that journey that was aforesaid. He picked him men of his homemen and neighbours, them that were strongest of might bodily and doughtiest of those that were to hand. One man was named Ani, a wealthy bonder: another named Grani: the third Grimolf, and Grim, his brother, homemen of Skallagrim’s, and those brethren Thorbiorn Krumm and Thord Beigaldi. They were called Thorarna’s sons. She dwelt a short way from Skallagrim’s and was learned in wizardry:
¹
Beigaldi was a sit-by-the-fire.
²
One
man was named Thorir the Giant and his brother Thorgeir Jardlang: a man named Odd Live-alone; Griss the Freedman. Twelve were they for that journey, and all the strongest men, and many shape-strong.

They had a rowing-ferry that belonged to Skallagrim: fared south along the land: laid their course in into Osterfirth: fared then the land-way up to Vors, to that water which is there, and their road so lay that they must fare over it. They got them a rowing-ship, such as served their turn; and so rowed over the water. And then was it no long way to that farmstead where the King was a-feasting.

Grim and his came there at that hour when the King was gone to table. Grim and his found men to speak to out in the garth,
³
and asked what tidings were there; and when that was told them, then Grim bade call to speak with him Oliver Hnufa. That man went into the hall and thither where Oliver sat, and said to him: “Men be here come, outside, twelve together, if men you shall call them. But liker be they to giants in growth and seeming, than to mortal men”.

Oliver stood up straightway and went out. He thought he knew who would be come. Welcomed he well Grim his kinsman, and bade him go in into the hall with him. Grim said to his fellows: “That will here be the way of it, that men go weaponless before the King. We shall go in, six, but other six shall be without and mind our weapons”.

And now go they in. Oliver went before the King. Skallagrim stood at the back of him. Oliver took up the word: “Now is Grim hither come, the son of Kveldulf. We shall now take great joy of it, King, if you make his journey hither a good one, even as we hope it will be. Many be they that have of you great honour that are less fit for it than he, and that are nought near so well gifted in all feats of mastery as he will be. And thou mayest so do this, King, which is a thing I myself set most store by, if that is aught to thee”.

Oliver spake long and readily, for he was a man apt of word. Many other friends of Oliver’s went before the King and pushed this suit.

The King looked about him. He saw that a man stood at the
back of Oliver and was by a head taller than other men, and bald. “Is that he, Skallagrim?” said the King: “The big man?”

Grim said that he guessed aright.

“I will, then,” said the King, “if thou biddest boot for Thorolf, that thou become my man, and go here into the lay of my bodyguard, and serve me. May be it shall like me so well of thy service, that I shall bestow on thee atonement after thy brother, or other honour, no smaller than I bestowed on him, on Thorolf thy brother; and thou must know better how to keep it than he did, if I make thee so great a man as he was become.”

Skallagrim answereth: “That was known, how greatly Thorolf was beyond what I am in all that belonged to him, and no good hap bare he of his serving thee, King. Now will I not take that rede. I will not serve thee; for I know that I shall not bear that good hap in doing thee service, that I should wish for and worthy were. I think that in more things should I be found wanting than was Thorolf”.

The King was silent, and was set blood-red to look upon.

Oliver turned straight away and bade Grim and his go out. They did so: went out, and took their weapons. Oliver bade them fare away at their swiftest. Oliver went on their way with them as far as the water, and a many men with him. Before he and Skallagrim parted, Oliver spake: “Another way turned out thy faring to the King, kinsman Grim, than I would choose. Much I urged thy coming hither, and now will I pray this, that thou fare home at thy speediest: and this withal, that thou come not to see King Harald unless there be better agreement betwixt you than meseemeth now things turn toward. And guard thee well against the King, and against his men”.

And now fared Grim and his over the water, but Oliver and his folk went where those ships were that were drawn up aland by the water-side, and hewed them so that they were not seaworthy: because they saw faring of men down from the King’s house: they were many men together, and much weaponed, and fared hastily. Those men had King Harald sent after them for this, to slay Grim.

The King had taken up the word a little after Grim and his had gone out: said as thus: “That see I in that great bald-head,
that he is choke-full of wolfishness, and needs must he do a hurt to some of those men that we should feel the loss of, if he catch them. You may make up your minds for this, you men whom he may reckon he hath some quarrel against, that that bald-head will spare no single man of you if he but come across you. Fare then now after him, and slay him”.

Therewith fared they, and came to the water and found there not a ship that was sea-worthy. So now fared they back again, and said to the King of their journey, and that too, that Grim and his should by then be gotten over the water.

Skallagrim went his ways with his company till he came home. Skallagrim said unto Kveldulf of their journey. Kveldulf deemed well of it that Grim had not fared on this errand to the King to go under the hand of him; said too, as aforetime, that there would befall them from the King scathe only and no upholding.

Kveldulf and Skallagrim talked oft of what counsel they should take, and that came always to an agreement betwixt them: so said, that they might in no wise be there in the land, no more than other men, such as were out of atonement with the King; and that this should be their rede, to fare abroad out of the land. And they thought that a thing to be desired, to seek to Iceland, because it was then well spoken of for the choice of land there. Thither were by then come friends of theirs and folk of their knowing, Ingolf Arnarson and his fellows, and had taken choice of land there and taken up their dwelling in Iceland. Men might there take to themselves land unboughten, and pick their dwelling-place. That was firmest set in their rede-taking, that they would break up their household and fare abroad out of the land.

Thorir Hroaldson
⁴
had been in his childhood’s days at fostering with Kveldulf, and he and Skallagrim were much of an age: there was dear love there in that fosterbrotherhood. Thorir was become landed man unto the King when these things betided: but the friendship betwixt him and Skallagrim held fast always.

Early in the spring Kveldulf and his folk made ready their ships. They had great choice of ships, and good: made ready
two great round-ships
⁵
and had aboard each thirty men, of them that were fit for fighting, and, over and above these, women and young folk. They had with them all their loose goods that they might come away with. But their lands durst no man buy, because of the King’s might. So when they were ready, then sailed they away. They sailed to those islands that are named the Solunds:
⁶
these be many islands and big, and so much shorn with bays that it is said that there will few men know all the havens.

CHAPTER XXVI. OF THE CHILDREN OF DUKE GUTTHORM.

G
UTTHORM
¹
was the name of a man, son of Sigurd Hart. He was mother’s brother of Harald the King. He was fosterfather of the King and governor over his land, for the King was then in his childhood when first he came to power. Gutthorm was war-duke of the host of Harald the King then when he won the land under him; and he was in all the battles that the King had when he gat unto him the land of Norway. But when Harald was become sole King over all the land, and sat him down in quiet, then gave he unto Gutthorm his kinsman Westfold and East Agdir and Ring-realm and all that land that had belonged to Halfdan the Black, his father.

Gutthorm had two sons and two daughters. His sons were named Sigurd and Ragnar, and his daughters Ragnhild and Aslaug.

Gutthorm took a sickness, and when it grew heavy on him, then sent he men to find Harald the King and prayed him see to his children and his realm. A little after, he died. But when the King heard of his death, then let he call to him Hallvard Hardfarer, him and his brother: said that they must fare on a sending of his east into the Wick. The King was then stopping in Thrandheim.

Those brethren made them ready for their journey in stateliest wise: picked their host and had the best ship they might get. That ship they had which had been Thorolf Kveldulfson’s, and
they had taken from Thorgils the Yeller. But when they were ready for their journey, then said the King unto them their errand, that they must fare east to Tunsberg.
²
There was then a cheaping-stead: there had Gutthorm had his seat.